1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to management of multimedia information. More particularly, various aspects of the present invention relate to management systems for databases of multimedia medical data and related user interfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
Despite the proliferation of computers, many medical doctors, particularly radiologists, prefer to analyze image data using hard copies, e.g., images on transparency film, reflective paper, or text printed on paper, instead of "soft copies" on an electronic display. Practitioners cite a number of reasons for this preference. For example, conventional electronic displays, such as cathode ray tubes ("CRTs"), cannot economically match the resolution of, for example, a sheet of film. Hard copies provide excellent contrast and resolution, and are accepted by radiologists. In addition, a radiologist often prefers to simultaneously view several full resolution images. Typically, the radiologist places multiple hard copies on a large light box. In contrast, typical electronic displays cannot provide such simultaneous viewing of multiple images without sacrificing resolution.
Hard copy systems, however, present a number of problems. Frequently, only a single set of hard copies is available. Accordingly, only one person can use a particular hard copy at any given time. A number of individuals, however, are commonly involved in a particular case, including the radiologist, treating physician or surgeon, and various other point of care professionals. As a practical matter, only the reading radiologist has ready access to the actual images. The remaining individuals receive the radiologist's written summaries instead of the actual images.
In addition, storing and retrieving hard copy images is inefficient and prone to errors. For example, film images must be labelled with the pertinent information, such as patient name, doctor, date, etc., which requires considerable time. In addition, the labelling process may introduce errors because the information must be typed or entered into a computer by hand. Even if the labels contain accurate information, they may be placed on the wrong hard copies, causing misidentification.
After labeling, the hard copies are generally placed in large file folders in a storage facility. Handling the large hard copies is cumbersome and difficult, and the size of the hard copies requires substantial storage space. In addition, if the hard copies are misfiled, retrieval becomes extremely difficult and time-consuming, if not impossible. Indeed, misfiling may cause virtual loss of the hard copies, for they can seldom be located after misfiling.
Hard copy analysis and archiving systems are often employed even where the original data is in digital form. Medical facilities often generate and maintain medical images, patient information, and diagnostic reports in a digital format, but present the information to the user as hard copies. Similarly, images generated by digital imaging techniques, such as ultrasound, nuclear medicine, digital fluorography or angiography, computerized tomography ("CT"), magnetic resonance ("MR"), and computerized radiography, are initially generated in digital form, then transferred to a hard copy for presentation to the radiologist or clinician. The hard copy is easier than the digital data for the analyst to access, handle, and visualize. The digital data, on the other hand, is often discarded immediately or shortly after creation; alternatively, the original digital data may be maintained only as a backup to replace lost or damaged hard copies, while the hard copies are traditionally used for analysis and long-term archiving.
It has been generally suggested that computer-based systems may replace hard copies with electronic displays and digital optical storage media. In these systems, multimedia data, such as digital image data and reports, are acquired through data acquisition interfaces and stored on electronic or computer media such as, for example, magnetic or optical disc drives. Banks of high resolution electronic displays present the image data to the radiologist, who makes a diagnosis from the visual presentation. High resolution displays, however, are costly, and many practitioners resist the transition from traditional hard copy systems.
In sum, the need for a comprehensive system for managing multimedia data remains unfulfilled. In addition, a user interface for a database management system that reduces errors caused by manual entry would be advantageous.